Today the Venice Paparazzi spotlight shines on The Morning Yells and singer/songwriter Phil Stancil.

How many years in Venice? We’ve been in Venice for 7 years!

Tell us about your music/band. We’re an indie rock outfit that blends Americana, Pop, Roots and Psychedelia. We released our debut EP Proper Wilted in 2017, and will be releasing a full length record this Fall. We’ve been described as a bridge between Laurel Canyon Country and Bruce Springsteen road rock, and get compared to Wilco, War on Drugs, and Big Star. We’re a sibling band, and always try to include our blood harmonies when possible.

Genre: Indie Rock – Americana, Roots, Pop, Psychedelia

Your job in the band: Songwriter, lead singer, rhythm guitar.

Trevor Smith, Curran McDowell, Phil Stancil, Laura Stancil, and Jacob Boll, from left. Photo by Greer Bratschie

Band’s Influences: We have a pretty wide range of influences, from singer-songwriter music of Townes Van Zandt and John Prine, to 80’s new wave like The Cure and Talking Heads, to more current indie rock acts like Beach House and Deerhunter. We’re kind of unable to pigeon hole ourselves into one genre, and I think it shows in the variety of songs we write.

How many years have you been a musician, and how did you get into it? Laura and I grew up in a family band called Potato Moon. We played folk and roots music throughout Michigan from our childhood through College years. More so than just affecting our lives, music is our lives. There’s really no greater feeling than writing a song or playing a show. It helps us find meaning and purpose in things. From an industry standpoint, music is an incredibly tough game, but at the end of the day there’s nothing we’d be doing otherwise. We’ll be writing songs until we’re in the grave.

Photo by Greer Bratschie

What would you say has had the largest impact upon your particular style? We’re easily affected. I’ll go see a show, and if the songs are great, all of the sudden I want to be a Shoegaze band or a funk band or something. Obviously the natural course of our writing steers us away from that, but seeing live music is probably the biggest influence on what we do. So much of music is just absorbing what other people are doing, and then reprocessing that yourself to see what happens.

Photo courtesy of The Morning Yells

What projects are your currently working on? We’re working on a full length record with engineer/producer Clay Blair at Boulevard Recording in Hollywood. It should be out this Fall.

Past bands/ Albums recorded: We put out our debut EP, Proper Wilted in 2017. It was recorded with Mark Rains at Station House Studios in Echo Park.

View video below! Video directed by Chris Phelps and edited by Vanessa Yuille. New EP, “Proper Wilted”, available now – tinyurl.com/ycfpdgty

What projects are your currently working on? We’re working on a full length record with engineer/producer Clay Blair at Boulevard Recording in Hollywood. It should be out this Fall.

Past bands/ Albums recorded: We put out our debut EP, Proper Wilted in 2017. It was recorded with Mark Rains at Station House Studios in Echo Park.

Upcoming Shows:

Wednesday, 9/26 at The Study Hollywood!
Sunday, 9/30 at the Andalusia “Locals” Stage at the Abbot Kinney Festival

Best memory/show: We played a show up in Winters, California at a spot called The Palms Playhouse, and it was incredible. There wasn’t a big crowd, but the connection we had with the people who were there was amazing. We played a couple hours of music, and I think it’s one of the best shows we’ve played.

Photo by Greer Bratschie

What advice would you give someone starting out in your field? Do it because you love the music. The industry is so tough, and there are plenty more days of feeling downtrodden than feeling optimistic. There is no road map to being in a band or writing music, so you have to be willing to carve your own path and enjoy the actual process – writing songs, playing shows, and connecting with people.

Favorite book, band or movie? Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan. Aside from Music, my next greatest passion is surfing, and this book perfectly captures the feeling and adventure of surfing. Definitely a must read if you’re a surfer, or even just interested in surfing!

What causes do you support? Environmental consciousness. Sustainability in all things.

View video of Sundown songs in Venice!

What brings you to the arts and how has it helped your life? Laura and I grew up in a family band called Potato Moon. We played folk and roots music throughout Michigan from our childhood through College years. More so than just affecting our lives, music is our lives. There’s really no greater feeling than writing a song or playing a show. It helps us find meaning and purpose in things. From an industry standpoint, music is an incredibly tough game, but at the end of the day there’s nothing we’d be doing otherwise. We’ll be writing songs until we’re in the grave.

What’s one thing we can do to make the world a better place? Ride your bike instead of the car!

List 1-2 things on your VENICE bucket list:

Skate the Venice Bowl
Play in the drum circle

Phil and his sister and band mate Laura. Photo by Greer Bratschie

Venice Questions:

Describe your perfect day in Venice: Wake up at dawn and surf – mid tide coming up and good swell – minimal venice closeouts! Bike the boardwalk down to the Santa Monica Pier, then head back to Hinano’s to catch the band and enjoy a burger and beer. Hang at the beach and watch my wife kick butt on the volleyball court, head to Abbot Kinney Fest for a 5pm show, and then head to Townhouse for some Comedy and cocktails. Mmm

Photo by Greer Bratschie

Among the many musicians and bands here in Venice, who are your favorites? Sunny War is great. I also dig Matt Ellis and Christina Vane!

Who has the best Venice nightlife? Favorite places to watch live music? Hinano’s is hard to beat for live music and good times. Trip also has some good shows!

Any shoutouts or thank you’s? Big thanks to Matt Ellis for putting together lineup for the Abbot Kinney Festival Locals Stage!